Howling at His Moon
by Polkadot-Tigers
Summary: He lost everything when he embraced his true nature. She lost everything and was forced into hers. Can they help each other find their way in their new lives? Or will they just get in each other's way? Klaroline wolves! AU
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

As the rain let up, I caught the scent of another wolf close by. I froze, that was impossible; normal wolves didn't live in this area, and there was a week until the next full moon. It had to be an alpha, only alpha wolves could transform at will. _Shit_ , I needed to get out of there fast, he wouldn't take kindly to another alpha on his land.

My ears pricked up, was that a whimper? No, I shook my head must be the wind …but there it was again. Turning toward the noise, I took a deep breath. The familiar smells of the forest came first; dirt, grass, slight decay, and the unique smell that comes from a recent rain. Then wolf, singular, no other animals had come out from their hiding yet. An alpha in distress? Curiosity overrode any sense of self-preservation as I slowly started to pick my way toward the new smell, careful not disturb the recently fallen leaves and alert the wolf to my presence.

The whimpering became clearer as I followed my nose. Had he been human it would have been sobbing I was sure. I came to the edge of a clearing when I finally caught the new wolf in my sights, curled up under a pine tree on the edge of the small meadow. I hid behind a tree trunk, my brown hued coat helping conceal me, and took in the wolf. Female, I realized by the sheen and smoothness of her bright snowy white coat. I was mesmerized; in all my travels, I had never seen a wolf with such coloring.

I lay down, watching as she let out a long sigh and closed her eyes, seemingly done with the crying for the moment. I wondered what ailed her; I couldn't begin to imagine what would prompt a woman to spend the day crying in the woods as a wolf, but I found myself wishing I did. Something about her sadness bothered me.

I watched her for the rest of the afternoon as she slept, I couldn't bring myself to leave her. Alone out there, venerable and defenceless I mean. As for why I stayed in town after that? I told myself I was just ready to stop running, that no one would think to look for me here, that this place was as good as any.

Yeah, I didn't believe it either.

 **This is my first fanfiction and I'm really excited! Please review! Chapter 1 should be up soon.**

 **-xo**


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

"Klaus?"

I took the take away tea cup from the girl behind the counter, who was being entirely too obvious, with a nod and small salute with the cup. I'd been to café's that asked for your name, but as the only patron in the place, I knew what was really going on, and it wasn't going to happen. I sat at one of the small tables outside to watch a woman to whom I would happily give my time.

I came to this spot every day. It had a perfect view into the little bookstore across the street. It looked warm and welcoming, as if someone's grandmother opened the store every morning and locked up every night. It wasn't the store that had brought me here every morning for here past week though, it was the gorgeous woman who worked there. Tall and blonde, with a smile who's warmth shone through the large windows of the store and across the street. In a word, she was lovely, and I hadn't even met her yet.

In fact, I hadn't met much of any one since I stopped in this town two weeks ago. Just the kind older couple who owned the motel I'd rented a room from, the gentleman at the art supply store I'd ordered canvases from, and the girl from the café who, unfortunately, now had my name. I spent the full moon in my room, sketching, one of the things I had missed most being in my wolf form for so long. I wanted to keep a low profile for a bit, try to fit in as a human before I threw being an alpha wolf into the mix.

There was a "Help Wanted" sign in the window that hadn't been there the day before. Perfect, I now had a reason, not only to meet her, but if I was lucky, see her regularly. I tossed my empty cup in the trash and walked across the street into the store. The first thing I noticed was the smell of old books and tea, it was oddly comforting. The second thing was that there were books and boxes all over the floor.

"Hello there! Is there anything I can help you find?" Her voice … I wanted to close my eyes and savor it, so beautiful.

"Just having a look around Love. I'm new in town, exploring a little is all… and I may have noticed the "Help Wanted" sign in the window," I held out my hand with a smile, "My name is Klaus."

"Caroline," she shook my hand, "please excuse the mess. I haven't been able to put this week's book order away yet, so clearly I am in need of help." She laughed, "I'll tell you what, I really hate interviews, from either side of the table it's awkward. So here's what we'll do instead: you work a day with me, and help me fix this mess, and if it goes well you can come back tomorrow."

"Perfect. What is it we're doing here?"

* * *

The day passed quickly as we worked together, adding this week's shipment of books into her inventory system and shelving them correctly. I quickly learned my way around the store, and was feeling quite confident in my navigation skills by the time we were finished. She told me all about the store, how it had been in her family for generations and, just as I had suspected, was a place everyone loved to spend time. I was surprised at how busy the store was, not many people frequented small businesses anymore. She laughed when I told her this.

"A few years ago one of those big name books stores tried to open up here; you know the ones that sell electronics and gadgets as well? It didn't last 6 months. It was an amazing feeling, the love and support from everyone in the town. This whole town supports each other, it's like were a big family." I was glad she had that. It reminded me of pack life; having a support system to fall back on no matter what.

* * *

I interrupted her as she was walking toward her car after locking up the store, talking about store hours and scheduling. "So did I get the job then?" I smirked at her shocked look.

"Oh! Yes of course, I totally forgot, sorry! I open at 9 tomorrow, if you're still interested. You can work your shifts with me if that's ok? Matt and Bonnie work their shifts together, they're a couple, if I separate them they would never see each other." She laughs.

"That's perfectly fine with me, love. I'll see you in the morning." I walked back to my motel with a smile. For the first time in years, things were looking up.

The next few weeks passed quicker than I ever could have imagined. The full moon was tomorrow night and I couldn't ignore the full of the moon this time. Though I was in control of my transitions, the moon still called to my wolf side. I hadn't spent this much time as a human in in years, my skin was starting to itch. I was glad to distract myself everyday with Caroline.

Working with Caroline was the most fun I'd had in years, she was always smiling, always laughing. Though I learned, she had plenty of reason not to. She told me about how her parents had passed away 4 months ago in a car accident, and how not long before that, her boyfriend had skipped town with another woman. "If I ever see him I'll tear out his liver." I threatened, furious that someone would hurt this beautiful creature I was coming to care for.

"No need," She laughed, "I'm better off without him. Tyler was far too possessive, he would have been pissed that I work with you every day. And if I was still with him," she looked up at me through her eyelashes, "I wouldn't be able to explore anything new." It had been a while, but I was pretty sure she was flirting with me.

"Well maybe if he was here you wouldn't be interested in anything new." I didn't want to be too presumptuous. Apparently, I needn't have worried.

"Nope, I most definitely still would have been."

Before I could reply, the door to the shop burst open and a man with fancy hair and a leather jacket strode straight to Caroline, effectively breaking the sexual tension. I hated him immediately.

"Caroline! We still on for tomorrow night?" Was Hero Hair what she meant by something new?

"Right! Yeah I almost forgot about that, thanks." I guess not, I breathed a sigh of relief.

"It's okay if you don't want to do it Caroline, everyone will understand." Ok, now I was confused.

"No no, I'll be there, I need to get back into things. I've just been so busy, but now with Klaus here... Oh my god, I'm being so rude, I'm so sorry. This is Klaus, our newest member, he's new in town. Klaus, this is Stefan, one of my oldest and best friends." Hero Hair had a name, I think I'll stick with Hero Hair.

We shook hands. "By oldest, she means we've been friends a long time, she has friends older than me, you should see her at Bingo. She gets along with all the grannies."

I laughed, "You know that doesn't surprise me in the slightest."

"Ha Ha let's all laugh at Caroline," she teased, "now get out, time to go home."

"Either if you up for a drink?" Stefan asked as we locked up.

I agreed, I hadn't had a good drink in quite some time, and it couldn't hurt to get to know her friends. Caroline declined.

"I'm headed home, I need to sleep. You two behave yourselves." She said, waving her finger back and forth between us before getting in her car and driving away.

"My brother has a bar down the street. You like bourbon?"

"Lead the way." I waved my arm ahead of us. Perhaps Hero Hair wasn't so bad after all.

* * *

 **Let me know what you think! -xo**


	3. Chapter 2

" _My Brother's Bar_?"

Stefan rolled his eyes. "Damon had the bar practically finished and still hadn't settled on a name. I spent the whole construction period calling it, "my brother's bar," Damon thought it was witty and clever."

I laughed as we walked in, it was pretty clever.

It was nice, and clearly very popular; there were people everywhere, almost every table was full. We took a seat at the bar and the dark haired bartender came over with a bottle and two glasses.

"What brings you in on your night off brother? I thought you'd be practicing your pensive stare in the mirror." He passed a glass to Stefan and raised the second to me questioningly? I nodded, accepting the drink.

"Funny. This is Klaus; Caroline says he's the newest member."

"Oh yeah, nice to meet you, I'm Damon." We shook hands across the counter. "You're the hot new foreign guy at the bookstore right?" He shrugged at the very confused look Stefan and I shared. "I'm a bartender; I listen to liquored up people talk all day."

We chatted through the drink and into a second.

"You coming to the bonfire tomorrow?" Damon asked.

My confused look answered for me.

"They didn't invite you yet?" He looked to Stefan, "That's practically your job brother! Do I have to do everything?" He rolled his eyes and looked back to me, "Tomorrow night at dusk, woods at the edge of town, be there." He turned and walked down the bar to the two barely legal girls at the other end of the bar.

"You don't have to go if you don't want, but it's a good time, "He look sideways at me, "and Caroline will be there."

I smirked, "Noticed that did you? Is this where I get the big brother speech?"

"Maybe if I thought it would make a difference." He sipped his drink. "Besides, Caroline can take care of herself just fine."

I left when the drink was finished, making excuses about a big day tomorrow. I let them think I was excited for their gathering, no one needed to know I would spend the next night tearing up the forest.

* * *

Luckily, the full moon was on a Friday this month, which meant I had two days to recuperate before work. Even luckier, it was a slow day at the store. I couldn't thank my lucky stars enough, not because I didn't want to work, but because I was distracted, badly. I couldn't wait to let my wolf run free tonight. I was so excited to feel the wind in my fur, and the extra strength the full moon brought me.

I was thinking of the white wolf too. I had no idea who she could be; there were so many people I hadn't met yet, and the town was larger than I first expected. I was hoping to see her tonight, maybe try to join her pack; being a lone wolf was...well, lonely.

* * *

I met the Salvatore's at the parking lot by the forest, as instructed. They were just about bouncing as I walked up to them, this must be some party. I just hoped there was a good crowd, so I could slip off to begin my real plans for the evening.

Damon and I followed Stefan into the forest, if it weren't for the superior strength I had from being an alpha, I might have been a bit nervous, being led into the dark forest by near strangers, the thought made me smile.

We walked for a few minutes before I could hear shouts of laughter and smell smoke.

"Here we are!" Damon announced as we approached a clearing. I got to the edge and I made a full stop.

People were milling around the clearing, talking and laughing, with drinks in hand as expected. A few hovering around the edges as if they were waiting for something. What gave me pause, were the wolves lounging in front of the large bonfire in the middle of the field.

How did they know?

Damon turned to find me stopped.

"Never seen a pack this size before? We're the biggest this side of Colorado last I checked, I think only the pack in Aspen is bigger."

I stopped gaping and tried to think of an intelligent question.

"Why the fire?"

"Not everyone likes to run all night, crazy if you ask me, why not enjoy it?" he pulled a face and shrugged, "The fire is to keep them warm. Usually Stefan and I come out early and light it, but Caroline wanted to do it tonight. Did your last pack not do that? Or shit, sorry did you not have one?" He looks slightly apologetic.

"No I had one, but they didn't do anything like this. Everyone just sort of embraced it and went wild." I took the cup Stefan was holding out to me, having just returned from the cooler beside the fire. I opened my mouth to ask about Caroline, confused, when a more pressing question jumped out.

"How did you know about me? I didn't -"

"WHAT THE FUCK?"

We all turned toward the shout to see Caroline storming toward us.

"What in the hell is he doing here?" She hissed at Stefan when she got close. "You can't just bring people here! Do you have any idea how dangerous this is?"

"Caroline," Damon crooned, swinging an arm around her shoulders, quite dangerous itself if you asked me, "relax! He's one of us."

He eyes shot to mine, shocked.

"You said yourself he's the newest member of the pack, what's the issue?" Stefan asked her as she pushed Damon's arm off.

"The newest member of the team is what I meant; he works at the store." She addressed Stefan without breaking eye contact with me; she was searching my eyes, "Is it true? Are you really...?"

I nodded. I was a little shocked myself, I never expected Caroline to be a wolf. And given the looks everyone was giving her, the alpha too.

Looks like I found my white wolf.

* * *

 **This one's a little shorter, but this seemed like a good place to stop for now. Let me know what you think! -xo**


	4. Chapter 3

**First off, I'm so sorry this took so long. I never wanted to be an author who only updates every few months. Unfortunately everything in my life happened at once and I didn't have a spare moment to breathe let alone write.**

 **I had a really hard time with this chapter, if I was ever going to do a "deleted scenes," this chapter would feature heavily. I'm sorry it's so short.** **  
**

 **I had a few questions about how Caroline didn't know Klaus was a wolf but Stefan did, or how Klaus didn't know anyone was a wolf. The answer is no one knew anyone was a wolf, because in my world the wolves can't sense each other. Caroline made a slip of tongue and called Klaus the "newest member." She meant STAFF member, Stefan thought she meant PACK member. I wanted it to be one of those incredibly convenient plot holes TVD loves so much.**

* * *

"I...well...okay then."

Caroline looked so lost, I wasn't far behind her, but I thought I was handling it a little better. It was hard to feel bad for her, she looked adorable stumbling for words.

"So...yeah, nope. I can't handle this right now." she laughed nervously and pointed at me "I'll deal with you tomorrow, or Monday, or never, I don't know yet."

She stormed off into the woods. Damn, but she looked nice walking away from me.

We all took a long drink.

"That went well." Damon looked at his bare wrist where a watch would be, "Ooh look at that, it's wolfy time for Damon!" He gave a wave of his fingers and walked away.

Stefan introduced me to some of the people by the fire, all wolves waiting for the moon to call them into wolf form, before leaving to turn himself.

I mingled for a bit before I excused myself from the couple Stefan had left me with, Jo and Alaric. Lovely people, but moon light was wasting and I wanted to run.

There was so much about being a wolf I had missed; the enhanced hearing and sense of smell, the agility and power, the freedom of being able to run around like a dog just let out of its cage. Some wolves would hate the analogy, but it was accurate. And what could I say? Running around like an idiot was kind of fun.

* * *

I woke up on the forest floor, sheltered under the low hanging branches of a pine tree I had stashed my clothes under when I turned. I groaned, rolling over, it had seemed like a good idea at the time; the tree offered shelter from the elements, but I now realized I would smell like Christmas for days. That shit never came out.

"Holy shit, you're huge!"

I looked over to see Caroline stop dead in her tracks and slap a hand over her eyes.

"Wow...NO! Not like that!...I didn't mean...as a wolf I mean...but also like... Would you put some pants on please?"

I dressed as she rambled. Adorable.

"All better now love?" I asked, sitting down in a fallen log, and yes, I was laughing at her.

She peeked through her fingers to confirm I was clothed before lowering her hand and adopting a very determined look.

"Thank you. Now, let's get this over with. Usually when a new wolf joins the pack, it's because a pup reached turning age. They already know everyone and how we do things, their parents teach them everything. We haven't had a mature wolf join our pack in a while, five years at least, and I wasn't exactly..." she shook her head, "I actually have no idea what I'm supposed to do right now."

"Well, I do already know all the wolf parts, so I guess that just leaves pack business. What happens when someone marries in? Can we follow those rules?"

"That's the problem," she sighed and sat next to me, "I told you my parents died not long ago, they were the alpha pair. They tried to teach me how to lead, how to resolve pack issues, deal with new members," she cast me a sideways glance and I smirked. "But I thought I had more time, I didn't pay as much attention as I should have."

My father's pack had very strict rules, but I had learned in recent years that no all packs ran the same. I got the feeling Caroline's was more on the relaxed side. I told her as much.

"How about you tell me about your pack, how it runs and that and we can go from there? You make the rules now Caroline." I gave her what I hoped was an encouraging smile. "You're the alpha, do you have a beta?"

"Not officially. Right after my parents died, there were some who thought I wasn't ready to be the alpha, and tried to challenge me. Stefan and Damon stepped in and put a stop to it all. Since then they've kind of been my enforcers. Stefan has been acting as my second in command while I figure out how to do this. Including introducing the new pack member while I freak out, I'm sorry about that by the way."

"I suppose I'll forgive you, but only if you promise to finish this conversation Monday, I'm about 10 seconds from passing out, I'm exhausted."

* * *

The high from the full moon, and easy acceptance into Caroline's pack lasted until Monday morning.

I stood in front of the motel with old Mrs. Fell, staring at the gaping hole in the roof, and shingles scattered all over the parking lot.

"I'm so sorry dear, the roof has needed replacing for a while now, and the storm took most of the shingles right off. We'll refund you for the rest of the month of course, but you'll have to find a new place to stay."

Caroline stopped me as I was stashing my bags and canvases in the back room of the book store. I thanked my lucky stars that I hadn't started the painting of her I had planned, my sketchbook full of her face was hidden at the very bottom of my backpack.

"You're not leaving are you? " She looked hurt, I rushed to reassure her, I wasn't going anywhere.

"No! No no, the storm took most of the roof off the motel; I had to bring everything with me." I waved off her concerned expression. "No one's hurt and insurance will cover the roof, there's no need to worry. Though I am now in need of a place to stay, do you know of anywhere I could rent?"

"That's awful, I'm glad no one was hurt!" She drummed her fingers on the counter thinking, "no one rents here, but I have plenty of room, you can stay with me."

"Are you sure love? I don't want to impose." I also didn't want her to think of me as a roommate. I was, however, interested in actually being alone together though, the store was so busy we barely spoke through the day.

"I'm sure, as long as you do half the cooking," she gave me an embarrassed smile, "I'm kind of a terrible chef."

She wasn't joking. She seemed to be surviving on cereal, sandwiches and frozen foods.

"How are you still alive!" The contents of her fridge and pantry were sorry at best. Caroline was laughing at my horrified expression. Even during my years as a wolf I ate better than this.

"I can't let this go on love, I'm teaching you how to cook. That's how I'll pay you for letting me stay here."

She pretended to consider it.

"I suppose that's not a bad trade. Come on, I'll show you the rest of the house."

 **Yes? No? Let me know what you think! - xo**


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